DAVID MARHVELASHVILI
MEL, AUS
Modern
Transformative
Rebrand
The wagon branding campaign became a case study in what brand visibility can do at scale. A marketing initiative became a product. A new service line. A new revenue stream.
· UI/UX Design
· Brand Design
· Brand Identity
· Graphic Design
RMF Karpaty produces freight wagons, rolling stock, tank containers, and metal structures in Ukraine. The ambition was to be perceived as the most modern company in their sector — despite not ranking in the top three by size or revenue.
RMF Karpaty produces freight wagons, rolling stock, tank containers, and metal structures in Ukraine. The ambition was to be perceived as the most modern company in their sector — despite not ranking in the top three by size or revenue.
That gap between aspiration and reality was the brief.
Research revealed that across the entire industry, the digital and brand presence of every competitor was significantly underdeveloped.
That wasn't a problem — it was an opportunity. The company willing to move first would define the standard.
That gap between aspiration and reality was the brief.
Research revealed that across the entire industry, the digital and brand presence of every competitor was significantly underdeveloped.
That wasn't a problem — it was an opportunity. The company willing to move first would define the standard.
The Challenge
The weight of an outdated image
The weight of an outdated image
RMF Karpaty carried the weight of an outdated image — what the industry referred to internally as a "dinosaur type of production." Functionally strong, visually invisible. The brand didn't reflect the region the company was rooted in, the ambition of its leadership, or the quality of what it actually produced.
The objective was not incremental improvement. It was a complete repositioning — to make RMF Karpaty look and operate like the most modern industrial company in Ukraine, and to be perceived that way by European partners and domestic clients alike.
RMF Karpaty carried the weight of an outdated image — what the industry referred to internally as a "dinosaur type of production." Functionally strong, visually invisible. The brand didn't reflect the region the company was rooted in, the ambition of its leadership, or the quality of what it actually produced.
The objective was not incremental improvement. It was a complete repositioning — to make RMF Karpaty look and operate like the most modern industrial company in Ukraine, and to be perceived that way by European partners and domestic clients alike.
Old Branding
Old Website
The Process
Brand Discovery & Identity
Brand Discovery & Identity
The rebrand began with a clear creative direction: reflect the company's geographical identity and signal a break from the industry's dated aesthetic. Three concepts were developed. The chosen direction was built around the letter K — shaped and stylised to evoke the Carpathian mountains, the defining feature of the region the company calls home. The mark communicated modernity and place simultaneously, without resorting to generic industrial visual language.
The rebrand began with a clear creative direction: reflect the company's geographical identity and signal a break from the industry's dated aesthetic. Three concepts were developed. The chosen direction was built around the letter K — shaped and stylised to evoke the Carpathian mountains, the defining feature of the region the company calls home. The mark communicated modernity and place simultaneously, without resorting to generic industrial visual language.
The identity was applied across the entirety of the business: apparel, gates, books, business cards, catalogues, signage, and every other surface the brand occupied. Every touchpoint was resolved with the same intent — a company that looked as modern and considered as it claimed to be.
The identity was applied across the entirety of the business: apparel, gates, books, business cards, catalogues, signage, and every other surface the brand occupied. Every touchpoint was resolved with the same intent — a company that looked as modern and considered as it claimed to be.
Discovery Process
The Unexpected Opportunity
Wagon Branding
Wagon Branding
During the process, an opportunity emerged beyond the original brief. Freight wagons travel the entire country - and in Ukraine, they are almost universally neglected in appearance. The wagons RMF Karpaty produced were a large, moving canvas. Branded well, they would stand out against every other wagon on the network, continuously, wherever they travelled.
The result was immediate. Against the industry backdrop, the branded wagons stood entirely apart. What started as a recognition campaign became a formal service offering - a new revenue stream and a genuine competitive differentiator.
During the process, an opportunity emerged beyond the original brief. Freight wagons travel the entire country - and in Ukraine, they are almost universally neglected in appearance. The wagons RMF Karpaty produced were a large, moving canvas. Branded well, they would stand out against every other wagon on the network, continuously, wherever they travelled.
The result was immediate. Against the industry backdrop, the branded wagons stood entirely apart. What started as a recognition campaign became a formal service offering - a new revenue stream and a genuine competitive differentiator.
Digital Presence
The digital presence was rebuilt from the ground up.
The digital presence was rebuilt from the ground up.
The existing site embodied exactly the image the company was moving away from. The replacement was modern, highly functional, and designed with the full brand system behind it — considered in structure, resolved in detail, and built to represent the new identity accurately.
visit rmf-karpaty
The existing site embodied exactly the image the company was moving away from. The replacement was modern, highly functional, and designed with the full brand system behind it — considered in structure, resolved in detail, and built to represent the new identity accurately.
visit rmf-karpaty
Outcome
The results exceeded the original brief in a way that rarely happens cleanly.
The results exceeded the original brief in a way that rarely happens cleanly.
Every European partner RMF Karpaty worked with came to believe they were dealing with the largest company in Ukraine in their sector. The perception gap that had defined the brief had not just been closed - it had been reversed.
The wagon branding campaign became a case study in what brand visibility can do at scale. A marketing initiative became a product. A new service line. A new revenue stream.
The engagement continued for years. RMF Karpaty retained ongoing support across digital and brand — a relationship built on the trust that comes from delivering beyond what was promised.
Every European partner RMF Karpaty worked with came to believe they were dealing with the largest company in Ukraine in their sector. The perception gap that had defined the brief had not just been closed - it had been reversed.
The wagon branding campaign became a case study in what brand visibility can do at scale. A marketing initiative became a product. A new service line. A new revenue stream.
The engagement continued for years. RMF Karpaty retained ongoing support across digital and brand — a relationship built on the trust that comes from delivering beyond what was promised.
Delivery Context
This project required working across every dimension of a business simultaneously — brand, environment, print, digital, and product. The scope demanded clear prioritisation and a consistent standard of execution across surfaces that had never previously been considered together.
The most consequential decision wasn't a design one. It was recognising the wagon branding opportunity before the competitors had and making the case for it. That judgment shaped the entire outcome.
This project required working across every dimension of a business simultaneously — brand, environment, print, digital, and product. The scope demanded clear prioritisation and a consistent standard of execution across surfaces that had never previously been considered together.
The most consequential decision wasn't a design one. It was recognising the wagon branding opportunity before the competitors had and making the case for it. That judgment shaped the entire outcome.